Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-25
that Will Grafton had killed l.

II bu6GN w Ill 8GIfdIEOu udu killed -
land I expected to exhibit my pro,
before the jury, but when I saw Graf
ton take the matter into his hands
Erealized that he suspected and was
prepared to defeat me. The son Will
was present during all the proceedings,
and wore the identical coat from which
the button had been torn. Two Of the
| servants informed me that he had
worn the garment right along every
day for six months. When I saw that
the verdict Of the coroner's jury was
foregone conclusion, and that Fritz
would be held, determined to hold my
hand until proper time In my re-
port Of the case to my superior I simp-
ly mentioned that Fritz had confessed
and been placed under arrest
+ On the second day after Fritz had
been sent to jail Grafton secured an
interview with him on the excuse of
providing him with lawyer. In that
interview he secured the following
written confessions:
I Lam now quite sure that killed the
girl got news in letter which
made me lose my head, and remember
meeting Jennie in the woods and
thinking she was to blame for all my
troubles. Idon't want to live, and 1
shall plead guilty and ask them to
hang me.
Three days later, when I guessed that
the prisoners dependency had vanish
ed, and that the thought of the gallows
would nerve him up to begin struggle
for life, paid him visit. I had been
doing some good work in his favor.
''Fritz.' said, ''you read your letter
in the barn, didn't you?''
eyes,
"You tore it up after reading"
Eyes; remember
''You were about to 60 for one of
the horses down in the pasture. When
you left the barn you took halter with
you"
Il remember"
You reached the lot. thew the halter
into fence corner, and then started off
by the old path leading to the cider
mill. When you passed the school
house you were bare headed. and you
had not been from home twenty min
utes"
II remember children shouting at
me-"
Il have followed you down that his gh~
way for twelve miles. Then you turned
east by a red school-house, and l have
traced you six miles further I can
show by the servants at the house that
you were under their eyes when the
girl left. and for an hour after. Then
your letter came, and you ran to the
barn and read it. Now, then, how
could you have killed the girl?''
Il don't know; but if didn't, who
did?'
Whose knife is this?''
''That's Williams"
"And this button?"
''Is off his coat
I had all the proofs any lawyer would
want to clear Fritz. could prove that
when he left the house he went to the
barn, and from the barn he went in an
opposite direction from the route the
girl took. had twenty witnesses who
met him here or there on the highway
for distance of eighteen miles, Be-
fore leaving the Jail 1 convinced him of
his innocence, and in moment life
seemed precious to him, and he was
ready to fight for his liberty. left
him to return to police headquarters,
but had not traversed square when q
runaway horse struck me down, break
ing an arm, three ribs, and fracturing
my skull For the next four weeks
was delirous off and on, and my head
was just coming back to me when I
heard that Fritz had been tried for the
murder and found guilty. The news
came to me through the cries of the
newsboys on the street, and at once
suffered a relapse, and this time was on
the threshold of death door for many
weeks. When I came back to myself
I was weak and helpless. and my men,
ory would not serve me. 1t was one
day when felt a desire to sit up, and
when the details of the past came
crowding into my brain, that asked
about Fritz. He had been hanged the
l. n